Victims of Circumstance
by shotabooty
Summary: Tino is content with his life, even if his son is embracing youthful rebellion. Alfred means well, but doesn't understand his actions have consequences. For a failed attempt to prove himself his consequences are in the form of a long forgotten home in the forest, strange servants, and a frightening young man with too many secrets. SuFin. Some DenSu on the side. M for later chapters
1. Chapter 1

**a/n: **well here we go i dont even know what to say about this its my first crack at a multi chapter fic in years. the idea was originally based on beauty and the beast but thats just more of the general feel of it as opposed to most of the plot content.

i upped the rating because i figured i might as well do that now so people aren't suddenly hit with things they don't want.

this story will include mentions of pedophilia (not directed at alfred), abuse (physical, mental, and sexual), stockholm syndrome, and possibly some other things i don't want names for at this very moment but will mention should they come up.

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It wasn't that he was a bad child, Alfred did his best to be good, but sometimes circumstances were just unfortunate. Circumstances and temptation. Who could blame him for any moral failings he happened to have now and then, such as skipping his lessons, harassing the kids he didn't like, or convincing his friends to go on daringly dangerous journeys with him? He was a child, that's what children did. They got into things, got into trouble, but not on purpose. Not always. Alfred frowned as he met his father's gaze, violet eyes narrowed and stern. Pouting could only get him so far. He rubbed at the bandage on his wrist and looked down.

"I cannot believe you. This is the third time in a week you've been causing trouble," the man scolded, the sound of disappointment in his voice was the worst thing of all. He bent down in front of Alfred and gripped his shoulders, his touch nothing short of gentle. Concerned. "You almost got two of your classmates seriously injured, do you realize this?"

Alfred refused to look at him. It was all unfair, this wasn't his fault. They hadn't been forced to come along with him, he had explicitly told them they could stay behind with the consequence that they'd just be cowards, but in the end it was their decision. The three had been exploring the abandoned workshop off near the edge of town, indulging in the silly rumors that it was haunted. Ghosts, however, had been the least of their worries as the floor gave out, landing them in the basement with no real way of getting out, the stairs decrepit and a reason why Alfred's leg was scratched up after he'd attempted to brave them. It was only by some miracle one of them had avoided falling, running off to go fetch an adult. Naturally they'd both said Alfred talked them into it. He shuffled his feet and mumbled something that his father didn't catch.

"What was that?"

"I dunno why I gotta be sorry, 'm not the only one to blame," Alfred replied, peaking up and hoping the look on his papa's face would tell him that he agreed. It didn't, all he did was look exasperated. He straightened up and folded his arms over his chest, making it obvious that he wasn't going to allow Alfred to get away with just a warning. Stern father was something he could play when necessary. Not that the young boy took that into consideration, feeling particularly victimized by his father's frown.

"Maybe not, but you were a big cause of it. You don't seem to understand the potential severity of your actions. Places like that are dangerous. First the forest where you nearly broken an arm, then harassing the reindeer, and now this. Alfred I might as well assign you a nanny to keep you out of trouble at this rate." Blue eyes widened to horrified proportions are the suggestion. A nanny? He was not some little kid who could barely walk anymore, he was perfectly capable of taking care of himself. The boy huffed, looking about ready to throw a tantrum.

"I don't need a nanny! I can do things on my own I'm not a little kid, I'm almost a man!" He insisted, and the man before him just frowned deeper.

"You're ten, Alfred. Ten. You are nowhere close to being an adult yet. You are still just a little boy, and I don't want anything to happen to you because you were being reckless!" Tino had always been a cautious man. He took comfort in security, stability, taking things slowly as they came with a rational mind. Alfred was opposite of that. The boy was adventurous and curious almost to a fault. He was brave, or rather determined to prove his bravery, too headstrong to back down when things were troublesome. Alfred's expression only worsened, looking particularly put off and wronged. He stomped his feet a little, but otherwise made no arguments, his young mind failing him and defaulting to 'throw a fit'.

Tino shook his head, determined not to give in, much as he would like to sweep the young boy into his arms and forgive him. Later, he'd make up for it later, with dinner, and pie, and they could go to the edge of the forest and pick berries. For now he kept his resolve. "Wash up and go to bed, do not make that face at me. I have errands I need to attend to, errands I should be doing right now, but had to take care of you first." He felt bad, wondering if he was being too harsh by the way Alfred was glaring at him. The boy stiffened his shoulders, dug the toe of his shoe against the wooden floor.

"Can I come?" He asked in a voice that was downright timid and Tino might have been swayed if he didn't know what Alfred was getting at. Trying to find a way to prevent the man from being upset with him. It was close to working, but, Tino squared his shoulders and shook his head.

"No. You will wash up, you will go to bed, and you will think about exercising some common sense the next time go get the idea of doing something dangerous." Alfred's frown returned ten fold and he looked every bit the child he claimed to not be. Without a word he turned and stormed off towards his room.

A sigh of relief could only be given from the man. There were no amount of words for how much he adored Alfred, but the boy could be exhausting.

After his retreat Alfred waited and waited, his mind a brewing storm that picked up with every passing moment. He felt so wronged, so hurt. How could his father treat him like that? Why couldn't he understand that Alfred hadn't meant any harm? That he was capable of taking care of himself? Independence had flared up hot and blinding in the boy, making it hard to see straight. Some minutes passed and he heard the sound of the front door closing, some minutes more and he crept out of his room. The good boy he insisted he was wouldn't be sneaking out and going against his father, but Alfred refused to stay pent up in his room under such unfair restrictions.

He knew where Tino was going. An elderly woman that lived just inside the forest often had him fetching things for her, as her granddaughter was out visiting her father in another town. Alfred snorted through his nose, bargaining with himself that it was fine he didn't get to go, the place smelled strange anyways. It was a blessing in disguise.

Alfred idled around the house, walking circles, fuming. He was on edge and the more he thought about the events the more upset he got, which only instilled a distinctly stir-crazy feeling in him. Opportunity presented itself, the conveniences of life sometimes such wonderful things. Alfred's attention was drawn to a package that rested on the table, one he could distinctly remember needing to go along with his father on his short trip. The boy could have jumped for joy upon that realization. It provided him with a chance to prove himself, that he could be competent and take care of things. All he had to do was take the package and deliver it himself, or at the very least catch up with his father. The man might be mad at first, but he'd be so grateful once he realized his own mistake, Alfred just knew it.

With his plan in mind he scrambled to get himself ready, throwing on a cloak and pulling on his warm boots. The package was scooped up and in no time he was out the door, followed by a bouncing white dog. "Ah, no Hanatamago, you can't come with me!" Alfred said, then frowned as he watched her sit at his feet. Who was he to say she couldn't come? Just because she was small? Or could run off? If he did that than he'd just be a hypocrite and so Alfred just closed the door. "Okay you can come, but you've gotta listen to everything I said! And no getting lost, Papa would make me sleep with the reindeer if I lost you." The dog just barked and took to trotting by his side as they set off on their journey.


	2. Chapter 2

**a/n: **i actually wrote this and the previous chapter as one big thing, but i decided to separate them into two. its also not going to be so alfred-centric the entire time pov wise for anyone who might be curious about that.

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It was the time of day when people were preparing to head inside, night fringing at the edges of the sky through faint hints of pinks and purples. Alfred, being the stubborn, confident boy he was, had no doubts over making it there by nightfall or not. Even if it did get a little dark he'd have his father to walk home with. Hanatamago remained equally undisturbed by the oncoming sunset, happily sticking by Alfred's side, for the most part. Sometimes she'd wander a little ahead, or linger behind as she sniffed something interesting, but a quick call from the boy was enough to get her attention.

On they went, no one paying them much mind, Alfred using Hanatamago as something to rant at about how unfair it all was. However, he was plenty confident in his plan. It'd succeed and his father would be so thankful for it that he'd forget all about being mad and realize that Alfred was growing up. The boy puffed out his chest, swelling with pride at his genius. Everything was going well up until they started on the path that led through the woods and Hanatamago decided that running off after something only she knew was there was a brilliant idea. "Ah! Wait! Get back here!" Alfred shrieked as he gave chase, knowing that if he just let the dog go about on her own she might get lost. In the town it would be fine, almost everyone knew who she belonged to, but out in the woods she could get herself into serious trouble.

"C'mon you dumb dog, slow down! We have things to do and they're not chasing cats!" She remained oblivious barking and yapping her little head off as she tormented whatever animal had drawn her attention. The boy crashed after her, dodging thickening trees and bushes and trying his best not to get caught on anything. Behind him the path was becoming less and less apparent, the route they were taking more convoluted, and by the time he tackled their pet he had not the slightest clue as to where they were.

"I can't believe you! Running off like that! You're normally so good," he said, arms firmly locking the squirming dog in place. She growled, barked, and tugged, but being a small thing even the child's arms were enough to trap her. Alfred clamored to his feet, holding the dog awkwardly in one hand while he dusted himself off. Dismay overtook him as he picked up the package, which had gotten squished in his landing. "Papa's going to be furious!"

Where confidence had once been so prominent dread settled in. Hot tears pooled at his eyes and Alfred dropped the package in favor of holding Hanatamago close and burying his face in her soft fur. She yipped, most likely telling him to put her down. "It's all your fault I woulda been fine if you didn't go running off," the boy murmured, angry and utterly hopeless. He sniffled, pulled back, and glared at the dog, who in turn licked his nose. If he were a more spiteful boy he might throw her to the ground. Suddenly leaving the house seemed like the worst decision Alfred had ever made. As he turned to try and return to familiar grounds he realized he didn't even know which way he came from. It all looked so different this way than it had while running through it.

He was in trouble. So much trouble. Tino was going to be furious once he got home, if Alfred made it home at all. He clung to the dog, who protested through a whine, but was otherwise helpless. The boy took in a deep breath, puffed out his chest, and made a good attempt at gathering his resolve. Only a coward would be thinking such negative thoughts, and Alfred was not a coward! Being lost in the dark woods would not be getting the best of him, or so he tried to tell himself. All he needed to do was find the path, and then he'd be okay. With Hanatamago in tow he picked the direction he thought he'd come from and started off. It wasn't like sitting around would get him anywhere. A brave man wouldn't sit around, he would move, and conquer his situation.

With every step he took Alfred could safely say that he didn't recognize anything. His sense of direction was practically non-existent and for all he knew he could be going completely opposite the way he'd come. He tried to look for signs, moss, a helpful arrow, anything that could hep, but only came up short. Hanatamago was useless, squirming in his arms, though he refused to let her loose again. "It's okay. We'll be okay. E-everyone gets into bad situations sometimes, b-but things always turn out alright," Alfred rambled as the woods seemed to close in around them. Was it getting darker? He peered up the the sky, only to find it blotted out by the thick canopy. A canopy that could hold anything. Peering eyes, gnashing teeth. Alfred increased his pace and looked pointedly ahead.

He couldn't tell how long he'd been walking. An hour, two possibly, maybe even more. It felt like forever to the young boy. His legs ached, along with his chest, and his cheeks were flushed by the chilled air. Forget ghosts and wild animals, at this rate he'd die of the cold. Somewhere along the line the trees began to thin out. Not by much, but enough to glance at the sky, which had become spotted with stars. He was dead. Done for. If he didn't get attacked by some wild animals he'd freeze to death, that or his dad would surely strangle him for this. Alfred winced at the thought and tried his best to resist sitting down and crying. The dog he held began barking, frantically, and kicked out of his grip. "No!" Stupid thing, didn't she know it was dangerous? He'd already chased he once, the boy tempted to let her go, but he followed nevertheless. It didn't take long for them to come across something he hadn't ever expected.

A mansion lay before him, surrounded by a high gate. More frightening than any old building they had in town. Moonlight poured onto it, but it still seemed dark. Haunted. Hanatamago slipped through the bars of the gate, barking her little head off, and Alfred heisted just a minute before following her, the bars apart just enough for a small boy to get through.

Once past the gate he stopped running, trying to catch his breath, as well as taking in the sight of the building before him. Plants crept along it's walls, as much a part of it as it's intricate facade. Everything about it seemed faded and worn. There was a cracked window, and then one shattered out entirely, all too dark to make out anything in regards to the inside. It was impressive, even if age worn, and he could only imagine what sort of people must have lived there at one time. Lords, maybe. Important people. By why would anyone want to live in the middle of a forest? Did anyone in town know about the place? Alfred had too many questions he couldn't answer.

The grounds around him weren't in any better condition, the grass overgrown and gnarly, Alfred certain something horrible could be hiding in it's wake. His little canine was all but lost in it, just a sign of rustling and barking ahead of him. He cursed her, but then again she may have only been trying to help. How she knew about the place he wasn't sure, but surely she had to, using her superior doggy nose to sniff out shelter from the horrors of the night. On the other hand there was no telling how many horrors awaited him inside.

The boy finally compelled himself to walk, trudging through the grass with minimal effort, mostly looking for Hanatamago so he could pick her up again. She was at the door, scratching at it like she did at home when she wanted to come in or go out. Alfred didn't pick her up, running small fingers across the fine wood. "I wonder if anyone's home," he mumbled, contemplated knocking, but this place couldn't possibly hold any living beings. Ghosts were a different story, and just thinking about them almost made the boy wail and want for his dad.

Experimentally, he grasped the handle. It twisted easily enough and the door came open with only a slight creek. It was dark inside, but it was dark outside too, and it felt warmer inside. Alfred bounced on the balls of his feet, his stomach a tight knot of fear and childish curiosity. He didn't have much more time to decide due to the blur of white that slipped in, giving him no real choice. She was all he had right now and he couldn't just let her go off on her own, she might get hurt. With his resolved gathered, for the most part, he plunged into the house and followed after the clicking of her nails against the wood floor.


End file.
